Found in Translation

Anyone who would like to keep informed of seismic activity should visit the web-site maintained by the United States Geological Survey, where real-time monitoring shows recent movement by the week, the day, and the hour. Our world is rocking! Although the other three evangelists do not report earthquakes, Matthew does announce seismic activity. Where Mark and Luke tell of the windstorm, ANEMOS, that threatened to swamp the boat with Jesus and the disciples, Matthew wrote that the waves were a result of SEISMOS. This Greek word is the direct ancestor of our word seismic. Matthew reports two earthquakes, also, in his final chapters. Was Matthew an alarmist, exercising journalist license? It is more likely that Matthew was emphasizing the magnitude of these events: the whole world was rocked!